DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                        2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                     Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-637-06                                                                                                                                                                                                                             27 July 2006

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN ROME DELIVERS CONSULAR SERVICES TO FILIPINOS IN SICILY 

27 July 2006— Philippine Ambassador to Italy Philippe J. Lhuillier reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Embassy dispatched a consular team to the region of Sicily on 15-16 July 2006 to serve the growing consular needs of overseas Filipinos in the town of Messina.  

“This is the second time this year that the Embassy sent a consular team to the region of Sicily,” Ambassador Lhuillier said. 

The team was led by Vice Consul Kristine Leilani R. Salle with the support of five consular staff as members and representatives from OWWA, PAG-IBIG, SSS and Equitable-PCI Bank for the issuance of the OFW e-cards. 

Around 400 Filipinos in Messina and the nearby towns of Catania, Giarre, and Reggio Calabria availed of services such as passport renewal, notarials, fingerprinting for NBI clearances, and other consular-related services.  The consular outreach was held at the Centre Immigration Via Campo delle Vettevaglie. 

According to Ambassador Lhuillier, "Aside from rendering consular services, Vice Consul Salle also took the opportunity to strengthen the Embassy's links, not only with the leaders of the Filipino community in Sicily, but also with the local government officials of Messina in a meeting held on 15 July 2006."  

The members of the Filipino community in Messina expressed its appreciation for the services rendered by the Embassy and expressed the hope for further cooperation between them and the Embassy. The Ambassador noted that the local Italian government officials paid tribute to the positive image of the Filipino community as hardworking, reliable and trustworthy people. The last time that the Embassy conducted a consular outreach in Messina was in 1999. 

The Ambassador said the Messina outreach was made possible in cooperation with the United Filipino Christian Community, headed by its president, Mr. Dante Coloma, and adviser, Ms. Susan Carmona. END

/gary

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